The jump impressed economist Barton Smith, who has analyzed the local employment picture for decades, but he was skeptical that job creation is quite that strong.

Smith, professor emeritus of economics at the University of Houston, pointed to lower-than-usual post-holiday job losses in retail trade and an unexplained jump in construction jobs. He believes those may stem more from delayed data reporting than a burst of economic activity and that area job growth is more like 3.2 percent to 3.3 percent.

But still that's still solid, said Smith, who had wondered in recent months if the recovery was real.

The data released Friday reflects revisions the commission makes annually when it compares its monthly employment estimates to the actual payroll tax reports companies submit. Annual revisions also capture the impact of new businesses that opened or closed during the year.

Losses in construction

It turns out the Houston area gained 79,300 jobs, a 3 percent increase, from December 2010 to December 2011. That is 3,500 more jobs than the commission originally estimated, and it stems largely from unexpected gains in sectors including temporary staffing, engineering, information services and fabricated metal products manufacturing.

"Houston had a remarkable 2011," said Smith. During times of growth, it's typical for companies to turn to temporary help agencies before they commit to full-time employees.

At the same time, however, the revisions reflect higher-than-expected losses in construction and air transportation.

The merger of Chicago-based United and Houston-based Continental airlines also is having an effect, said Jankowski. While Houston remains a major hub for what is now United Airlines, its headquarters is in Chicago.

Jankowski suggested that the lower-than-usual drop in retail jobs in January might reflect the growth in local population or retailers who were more cautious about hiring seasonal help last fall.

Either way, retailers reported they cut only 5,800 jobs from December to January. One year earlier, retailers trimmed 12,900 positions.

The rest of Texas isn't growing as robustly as Houston. The state created 258,200 new jobs January-to-January, for a 2.5 percent increase.

"If it weren't for Houston - and with the mild exception of Dallas-Fort Worth - the Texas economy would look very similar to the national economy," said Smith.

Jobless rate also up

The Texas Workforce Commission also reported Friday that the local jobless rate jumped to 7.6 percent in January from 7.2 percent in December.

The higher unemployment rate, even as the number of jobs grew, may mean some residents who had stopped looking for work are in the market again because of the improving employment picture. Or it could be the result of a population increase as people move to Houston from areas with weaker economies.

The local unemployment rate is not adjusted for seasonal variations including holiday shopping patterns, planting and harvesting schedules and school vacations.

The statewide rate is adjusted for seasonal factors. In Texas, the unemployment rate dipped to 7.3 percent in January from 7.4 percent in December.